


Do Not Pass Go

by beetlebee



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animagus, Bad Ideas, Friendship, Gen, Getting to Know Your Pal’s Werewolf Side, Humor, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Monopoly (Board Game), Property Damage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 13:20:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20026483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beetlebee/pseuds/beetlebee
Summary: “I,” declares James Potter, “am an utter genius.”——(It’s hard to get a werewolf to sit down for a game of Monopoly, as it turns out.)





	Do Not Pass Go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [keepyourpantsongohan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/keepyourpantsongohan/gifts).

> A 30 minute writing challenge, made for keepyourpantsongohan.

“I,” declares James Potter, “am an utter genius.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Sirius replies, “Mr. Fell-For-The-Fake-Love-Letter-From-Lily for the 3rd time this week.”

“First of all, I should report you to the grammar aurors for such an abuse of hyphens, and second of all, shut up,” James retorts.

“What are you hiding behind your back?” asks Peter, ever the reliable for getting James back on track of whatever he was initially talking about.

“Right, I am a _genius_,” he emphasizes, “for making our certain monthly exercise even better.” He brings the box out in front of him. “Tada! I found a way to get to know the hairier side of our favorite lycanthrope.”

Sirius squints, reading the cover. “Monopoly? A muggle board game?”

“Lily let me borrow it,” James says with an eyebrow waggle. “Well, I actually told her Peter needed help with some Muggle Studies homework, and then she let me borrow it.”

Peter frowns. “But I don’t take Muggle Studies—“

“And what Lily doesn’t know about your truancy won’t hurt her,” James interrupts.

“A prefect talking truancy? For shame, Mr. Potter,” says Remus, from the doorway of the dorm, with tired amusement in his voice.

James hastily shoves the game under his invisibility cloak before turning around. “Hello, Moony! Fancy seeing you here!”

“Alright, what are you all up to,” Remus says.

“Nothing!” they all shout at once.

Remus stares at them all, blinking long and slow. “Right. Keep your secrets. I’ve been up 36 hours longer than necessary. Wake me for dinner.”

“You got it, buddy. Have a nice nap!” James waves Remus over to bed, and tries to give a significant look to the other two.

Operation Monopoly was on!

——-

The werewolf stood before them, panting heavy and drooling, and very angry.

“You got a bit of drool there on you,” James tries to say, but the wolf growls, the noise growing louder with each second.

“Nevermind!” James says, holding up his hands. “Let’s just start the game—“

The wolf howls, and Peter pops into a rat, scurrying under some leaf litter.

“Coward!” James hisses.

“Uh, Prongs—“ Sirius starts, but then the wolf lunges, knocking the boardgame clear into the air, the paper money going flying.

“Scatter!” James yells, watching Sirius twist and change into Padfoot, the dog tucking underside some nearby bushes.

The werewolf’s eyes swivel to James, and James feels the shift, ready to run. But his horns sprout in time to spear the flying game board atop his head, like a terrible hat. Prongs spins around, trying to get the board off, but it only serves to pinwheel round and round.

Prongs stops, realizing the futility of making any difference to his situation without hands, and huffs, making some of the free-floating paper money cyclone away from his face.

The wolf is paused, though, watching the colorful spectacle of spinning game bits, enthralled.

Prongs hears a huffing noise from the bushes, and it’s Padfoot wheezing, trying and failing to laugh as a dog. Prongs is about ready to stomp him with his hooves when the werewolf steps forward. Prongs keeps himself still, and watches as the wolf picks up one of the paper bits. It comes closer still, and Prongs tenses, but then it pierces the paper money on one of his other horns.

Prongs blinks. The wolf grabs another piece, and does it again. The wheezing from the bushes erupts again, this time with an added symphony of squeaks.

Prongs is starting to resemble a bizarre Christmas tree, but the werewolf is chuffing, and Prongs tiptaps his hooves a little. Despite the utter indignity of it all, he’s pleased by the result.

Operation Monopoly is a success!

—-

“JAMES POTTER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY GAME?”

Almost a success.


End file.
